Ashoka's edicts were posted along important roads and at important locations, similar to the way billboards are posted along major travel routes in modern society to communicate information. From billboards we can learn about new products, shopping areas, and places to stop and rest while traveling; and we can see public service announcements about becoming volunteers or getting yearly health checkups. Reading billboards posted around a community tells us about that community. Similarly, Ashoka's edicts tell us about India during the Mauryan Empire. After you and your partner have been assigned one of Ashoka's edicts use the following link and make a billboard interpretation of the edict then post it on the wall near your edict.
Consider the values promoted by Ashoka: Identify the value that is best promoted by your edict.
Buddhist Values - Edicts in this category are concerned with the Buddha's teachings about how to live a correct life.
General Welfare - Edicts in this category are concerned with making sure people have good health, shelter, clean water, and enough food.
Justice - Edicts in this category are concerned with fair laws and treatment in court and jail.
Security - Edicts in this category are concerned with the protection of people from foreign enemies.
Read the Following
Homework: Reading p.p. 162-163
Class discussion:
Ashoka's edicts were posted along important roads and at important locations, similar to the way billboards are posted along major travel routes in modern society to communicate information. From billboards we can learn about new products, shopping areas, and places to stop and rest while traveling; and we can see public service announcements about becoming volunteers or getting yearly health checkups. Reading billboards posted around a community tells us about that community. Similarly, Ashoka's edicts tell us about India during the Mauryan Empire. After you and your partner have been assigned one of Ashoka's edicts use the following link and make a billboard interpretation of the edict then post it on the wall near your edict.
Consider the values promoted by Ashoka: Identify the value that is best promoted by your edict.
Buddhist Values - Edicts in this category are concerned with the Buddha's teachings about how to live a correct life.
General Welfare - Edicts in this category are concerned with making sure people have good health, shelter, clean water, and enough food.
Justice - Edicts in this category are concerned with fair laws and treatment in court and jail.
Security - Edicts in this category are concerned with the protection of people from foreign enemies.
Directions for Creating Billboard
Assignment 4-6
After completing your Understanding How Ashoka's Edicts Helped Unify India sheet answer the following comprehension questions:
1. What are the main ideas expressed in Ashoka's edicts?
2. What are some of the ways in which Ashoka's leadership promoted unity in India?
3. In what ways did Ashoka's Buddhist beliefs contribute to the unification of India?
4. In addition to the edicts, what else might have contributed to the unification of India during this time period?
5. Explain how one of the edicts you examined could be catagorized another way
(i.e. instead of Buddhist Values it could also concern Justice)